The American Samoa national association football team (Samoan: Amerika Sāmoa soka au) represents American Samoa in association football and is controlled by the Football Federation American Samoa, the governing body the sport in the territory. American Samoa's home ground is Veterans Memorial Stadium in Pago Pago and their head coach is Thomas Rongen, who previously ran the United States U-20 team. Regarded as one of the world's weakest teams, until November 2011 they were the joint lowest FIFA ranking of all countries registered for full internationals. The team hold the world record for the largest defeat in an international match, set after their 31–0 loss to Australia.
The team has seen a major improvement to their results since Rongen's appointment.
American Samoa achieved its first victory in a 3–0 win against Wallis and Futuna in the group stage of the 1983 South Pacific Games, when neither team was a member of FIFA.
On November 23, 2011, the team defeated Tonga 2–1 in the first round of OFC World Cup Qualification, with a long-range goal by Ramin Ott, and a chip over the keeper by Shalom Luani, helping them record their first official international victory after 30 consecutive defeats.
They followed this up with a 1–1 draw against Cook Islands, but failed to progress in their qualifying group, after losing to Samoa 1–0, the only goal being scored in the 89th minute.
On December 2011 the team achieved its greatest position in the FIFA World Rankings.
Read more about American Samoa National Association Football Team: American Samoa All Time Record Against All Nations, World Cup Record, World Cup Qualification Record, OFC Nations Cup Record, South Pacific Games Record, Managers, Squad
Famous quotes containing the words american, national, association, football and/or team:
“No man is good enough to govern another man, without that other’s consent. I say this is the leading principle—the sheet anchor of American republicanism.”
—Abraham Lincoln (1809–1865)
“Universal suffrage should rest upon universal education. To this end, liberal and permanent provision should be made for the support of free schools by the State governments, and, if need be, supplemented by legitimate aid from national authority.”
—Rutherford Birchard Hayes (1822–1893)
“With all their faults, trade-unions have done more for humanity than any other organization of men that ever existed. They have done more for decency, for honesty, for education, for the betterment of the race, for the developing of character in man, than any other association of men.”
—Clarence Darrow (1857–1938)
“You can’t be a Real Country unless you have A BEER and an airline—it helps if you have some kind of a football team, or some nuclear weapons, but at the very least you need a BEER.”
—Frank Zappa (1940–1993)
“They’re two good old friends of mine. I call them Constitution and The Bill of Rights. A most dependable team for long journeys. Then I’ve got another one called Missouri Compromise. And a Supreme Court—a fine, dignified horse, though you have to push him on every now and then.”
—Dan Totheroh (1895–1976)